Mercera Making a Senior Statement
May 08, 2026 | Track & Field, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
When last we spoke in early February, Vanessa Mercera was unable to put it all into perspective. A few days prior, Curacao, a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, had become known as the birthplace of the best women's pentathlete in the world, as Mercera, a 21-year-old Kansas State senior, put together five personal bests in all five events for a staggering 4,429 points at the Cliff Rovelto Indoor Track — at the time the most points scored by a pentathlete in the world.
"It took about a week for everything to set in," Mercera says, reflecting on her historic competition on January 31. "It was just a really fun time. Then I had to lock in again. I had to get more personal bests. It's been an ongoing thing."
She pauses.
"This being my last year," she says. "I know I have to go out with a bang."
Mercera is certainly making a senior statement.
From the Big 12 Indoor Championships to Manhattan to Oregon to Arkansas to Stanford, the brilliant Mercera is leaving a lasting mark — indoor and outdoor.
Some collegiate track and field athletes might set one or two personal bests over the course of a year.
Mercera has set 11 personal bests in the last four months.
"It's about the preparation for the events, the practices, and stepping onto the track every single time with the mental approach that you're going to do better than the last time," she says. "There are even little things, like nutrition and routine, that will make you set a personal best."
Her growing popularity around Manhattan has been a pleasant surprise.
"I wear the purple with pride," she says. "Even when we go to places, like Texas Roadhouse, and people actually recognize me, the people in Manhattan, and the people on campus, it's different. I enjoy that. We work really hard. It's nice to be recognized for it."
Mercera's most recent two personal bests came at the Oregon Team Invitational on April 18. Her 4x100 relay team ran a 44.74, and her time of 56.62 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles was the fourth fastest time in the history of K-State track and field. Although the National Outdoor Championships at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, are still one month away, Mercera, who had never been to Oregon, soaked in the atmosphere, envisioning big things, and performed at the Oregon Team Invitational like it was the national championships.
"I set those personal bests at the Oregon Invitational in a span of three hours that day," Mercera says. "In the 400-meter hurdles, I got my personal best. Then a half-hour later I set my personal best in the 4x400, too. There was a lot going on in a little time, but it was a good day. For everything I did that day, it was definitely one of my best days in track.
"Being in Oregon, I wanted to get a feel for the track, which is a fast track and the biggest track I've ever competed in. I wanted to get a feel there. It wasn't a postseason competition, but I treated it as one just so I could feel all the feelings of being at nationals."
Mercera's performance at the Oregon Team Invitational came two weeks after she finished runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles (57.38 seconds), 4x100 relay (45.22) and 4x400 relay (3:35.17) at the Stanford Invite.
"That was definitely a little warmup," she says. "Just a little bit of rust after not competing for about a month. I just wanted a good mark in the 400-meter hurdles, so I could build on it. I'm still new to the 400-meter hurdles, so I have to have a couple races to actually get my steps down. It was a really good meet to get me prepared for Oregon."
Mercera currently is less than one second off in the Division I standings from ranking in the top 10 in the 400-meter hurdles as she eyes the Big 12 Outdoor Championships on May 14-16 at Drachman Stadium in Tucson, Arizona.
"Obviously, things have started out well in the outdoor, but I have set records in the indoor, but haven't set any in the outdoor yet," she says. "Those are things that motivate me along with just seeing my progress from meet to meet. That fuels me."
She has business to take care of this weekend at the Ward Haylett Invitational on Friday at R.V. Christian Track at K-State.
"This weekend, I'll be running the 400 meters," she says. It'll be my last race on the home track. I want it to be a good one. Hopefully, I can break the school record. I have my personal goals to break the school record this weekend in the 400, and then I want to win the 400 hurdles at the Big 12 Championships, and then go to nationals, and those goals keep me going."
The biggest goal? To one day represent the Netherlands in the Olympics.
"The goal is to compete for the Netherlands really soon," she says. "I'd like to do the 400 hurdles and would like to be in the 4x400. In the indoors, they wanted me to do the 4x400 in the world championships, but it was during my collegiate season, so I didn't end up going, but they know me, so I think I'll be running for them pretty soon again."
Mercera is proud of one senior statement in particular: In two weeks, on the same day that she'll be competing in the Big 12 Championships, the native of Curacao will officially graduate with a degree in Communication Studies from K-State.
"It's getting a little bit more serious right now," she says. "We're down to my last couple meets. We'll have graduation and Senior Night. When the semester starts, you don't think about it, and now it's right here, and it's getting real. I'm just trying to enjoy every moment I have left at K-State. I won't walk across the stage because we'll be at the Big 12 Championships, but there'll be a graduation for athletes, and I'll be at that one.
"This week, I finished all my presentations, and I have just one final exam next week. But I've finished all of my assignments. It feels good."
Soon she'll say good-bye to K-State and start a professional career and shoot for the stars with the goal to represent Netherlands in the Olympics.
Meanwhile, K-State continues to roll along with arguably its most successful year of track and field in history.
"I'm going to miss K-State and miss Manhattan," she says. "I'm going to miss the athletes and coaches the most. This year, I've made a lot of close friends on the team who just got to K-State. I'm going to miss them. I've had a lot of fun. Every time we compete or practice, it's always a good time. On our team, everybody is working toward the same goal, and that makes it fun.
"It just feels like family. It's been a really good year."
And there are still opportunities ahead to make more senior statements.
When last we spoke in early February, Vanessa Mercera was unable to put it all into perspective. A few days prior, Curacao, a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, had become known as the birthplace of the best women's pentathlete in the world, as Mercera, a 21-year-old Kansas State senior, put together five personal bests in all five events for a staggering 4,429 points at the Cliff Rovelto Indoor Track — at the time the most points scored by a pentathlete in the world.
"It took about a week for everything to set in," Mercera says, reflecting on her historic competition on January 31. "It was just a really fun time. Then I had to lock in again. I had to get more personal bests. It's been an ongoing thing."
She pauses.
"This being my last year," she says. "I know I have to go out with a bang."
Mercera is certainly making a senior statement.
From the Big 12 Indoor Championships to Manhattan to Oregon to Arkansas to Stanford, the brilliant Mercera is leaving a lasting mark — indoor and outdoor.
Some collegiate track and field athletes might set one or two personal bests over the course of a year.
Mercera has set 11 personal bests in the last four months.
"It's about the preparation for the events, the practices, and stepping onto the track every single time with the mental approach that you're going to do better than the last time," she says. "There are even little things, like nutrition and routine, that will make you set a personal best."
Her growing popularity around Manhattan has been a pleasant surprise.
"I wear the purple with pride," she says. "Even when we go to places, like Texas Roadhouse, and people actually recognize me, the people in Manhattan, and the people on campus, it's different. I enjoy that. We work really hard. It's nice to be recognized for it."
Mercera's most recent two personal bests came at the Oregon Team Invitational on April 18. Her 4x100 relay team ran a 44.74, and her time of 56.62 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles was the fourth fastest time in the history of K-State track and field. Although the National Outdoor Championships at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, are still one month away, Mercera, who had never been to Oregon, soaked in the atmosphere, envisioning big things, and performed at the Oregon Team Invitational like it was the national championships.
"I set those personal bests at the Oregon Invitational in a span of three hours that day," Mercera says. "In the 400-meter hurdles, I got my personal best. Then a half-hour later I set my personal best in the 4x400, too. There was a lot going on in a little time, but it was a good day. For everything I did that day, it was definitely one of my best days in track.
"Being in Oregon, I wanted to get a feel for the track, which is a fast track and the biggest track I've ever competed in. I wanted to get a feel there. It wasn't a postseason competition, but I treated it as one just so I could feel all the feelings of being at nationals."
Mercera's performance at the Oregon Team Invitational came two weeks after she finished runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles (57.38 seconds), 4x100 relay (45.22) and 4x400 relay (3:35.17) at the Stanford Invite.
"That was definitely a little warmup," she says. "Just a little bit of rust after not competing for about a month. I just wanted a good mark in the 400-meter hurdles, so I could build on it. I'm still new to the 400-meter hurdles, so I have to have a couple races to actually get my steps down. It was a really good meet to get me prepared for Oregon."
Mercera currently is less than one second off in the Division I standings from ranking in the top 10 in the 400-meter hurdles as she eyes the Big 12 Outdoor Championships on May 14-16 at Drachman Stadium in Tucson, Arizona.
"Obviously, things have started out well in the outdoor, but I have set records in the indoor, but haven't set any in the outdoor yet," she says. "Those are things that motivate me along with just seeing my progress from meet to meet. That fuels me."
She has business to take care of this weekend at the Ward Haylett Invitational on Friday at R.V. Christian Track at K-State.
"This weekend, I'll be running the 400 meters," she says. It'll be my last race on the home track. I want it to be a good one. Hopefully, I can break the school record. I have my personal goals to break the school record this weekend in the 400, and then I want to win the 400 hurdles at the Big 12 Championships, and then go to nationals, and those goals keep me going."
The biggest goal? To one day represent the Netherlands in the Olympics.
"The goal is to compete for the Netherlands really soon," she says. "I'd like to do the 400 hurdles and would like to be in the 4x400. In the indoors, they wanted me to do the 4x400 in the world championships, but it was during my collegiate season, so I didn't end up going, but they know me, so I think I'll be running for them pretty soon again."
Mercera is proud of one senior statement in particular: In two weeks, on the same day that she'll be competing in the Big 12 Championships, the native of Curacao will officially graduate with a degree in Communication Studies from K-State.
"It's getting a little bit more serious right now," she says. "We're down to my last couple meets. We'll have graduation and Senior Night. When the semester starts, you don't think about it, and now it's right here, and it's getting real. I'm just trying to enjoy every moment I have left at K-State. I won't walk across the stage because we'll be at the Big 12 Championships, but there'll be a graduation for athletes, and I'll be at that one.
"This week, I finished all my presentations, and I have just one final exam next week. But I've finished all of my assignments. It feels good."
Soon she'll say good-bye to K-State and start a professional career and shoot for the stars with the goal to represent Netherlands in the Olympics.
Meanwhile, K-State continues to roll along with arguably its most successful year of track and field in history.
"I'm going to miss K-State and miss Manhattan," she says. "I'm going to miss the athletes and coaches the most. This year, I've made a lot of close friends on the team who just got to K-State. I'm going to miss them. I've had a lot of fun. Every time we compete or practice, it's always a good time. On our team, everybody is working toward the same goal, and that makes it fun.
"It just feels like family. It's been a really good year."
And there are still opportunities ahead to make more senior statements.
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